IDENTIFYING SILVER And UNDERSTANDING Makers’ Marks & Hallmarks By marks4antiques.com
Various Silver & Jewelry marks, including Standards Assay Hallmarks, makers’ marks icons or initials and Retailer’s logos
Silver marks identification is based on reading the various punched or stamped makers’ marks and hallmarks. In many instances, these are regulated by the country of origin and some are simply branding logos adopted by each company, studio or artisan. The same is true for jewelry marks, although space may be limited on smaller objects and these marks are stamped more succinctly.
I.
HALLMARKS ON SILVER & OTHER PRECIOUS METALS
It is important to note that only a few countries required specific Hallmarks to denote the purity of silver content in each item, also known as Assay Marks. This stemmed from very old laws for keeping track of all available precious metals in one’s country when the “Gold Standard” was still the main reserve for currency. These rules have eased in the last few decades or so and even those countries with previously very strict hallmarking rules have now adopted symbols indicating Two different variations of UK’s Lion Passant Hallmark for Sterling Silver, the left one used ca 1544 - 1831 except 1697 – 1720 and the one on the right (called Lion Passant Guardant) used ca 1831 - Present
similar information, but without having to formally or officially assay each piece as historically was the case. In other words, these symbols are now used by each company in good faith and are not necessarily enforced or validated by the authorities. These newer Hallmarking rules first appeared in 1973 when a core group of European nations signed the Vienna Convention on the Control of the Fineness and the Hallmarking of Precious Metal Objects (see http://www.hallmarkingconvention.org/) and which has since been further refined and expanded. Countries that previously had strict hallmarking regulations include the UK, Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Russia, France, most Scandinavian countries and a few others. These regulations meant that there is a certain minimum standard, i.e. a percentage of pure silver that must be present in each piece so that it can be referred to as Sterling and it varied from country to country as well as changed over the years. Additionally and especially before any of the latest International Conventions, each country issued different symbols to denote these standards and used diverse metrics systems, which often varied over time. For example, whereas the Thousands notation as in 750 or 925 etc, clearly specifies the percentage
numerically and is now the most internationally prevalent and widely recognized system, some countries used different units for a while such as the Loth in Germany and the Zolotnik in Russia. All of these are explained in our special pages of our Silver marks guides.
Three RUSSIAN Silver marks, from left to right: (a) Typical mark on STERLING SILVER [Assayer Initials AA over Year, Zolotnik Number (84), and Moscow Town mark (St. George) - ca 1750s – 1896, (b) A FABERGE company maker’s mark with Imperial Court Charter mark (two-headed eagle) – ca 1855 – 1917, and (c) Assayer’s initials mark for IVAN YEVSTIGNEEV with Year (1879) and Zolotnik Number (84) The United States did not have any such government regulated standards, except for a very brief period in the 19thC when the term Coin Silver was unofficially used to indicate that silver content was the same as in government minted Silver coins and which allowed the conversion of one into the other faster and easier as needs arose during times of war or financial uncertainty. However, almost all so-called “sterling” in America has been at least 90% pure silver at all times. In essence - and as daunting these variations in Hallmarking rules may seem at first - they are extremely useful in determining the age and of course the origin of an item. This valuable information, if available, should be the very start of any research efforts to identify and eventually evaluate the worth of an item.
II.
MAKERS’ MARKS ON SILVER
Makers’ marks on silver & jewelry are exactly what this term denotes, i.e. they are the logo or initials or branding symbol for the maker or manufacturer of an item. Most are officially registered Trademarks or have been dully Copyrighted in the legal sense of the word and some are simply documented by collectors or explained in various references as having been used by a certain company or individual. Our Silver marks guides contains thousands upon thousands of worldwide maker’s
marks to help our members identify their treasures. All marks are displayed in actual images divided in Shape or Letter Categories for instant access. Most graphical makers’ marks, i.e. those of a particular shape or comprising of a distinct iconic symbol, are unique. Although the vast majority of companies issued several marks over the years, most are precisely documented. This in turn helps in revealing the age of an item fairly accurately and paves the way for its proper valuation or appraisal. The decorative style of each item also yields several clues and also the technique used in making it. To learn on various methods of making Silver & Silverplate, please see STERLING SILVER & SILVERPLATED ANTIQUES: Understanding Sterling Silver or Silverplate and related terms. A situation where this may get a bit confusing is when some companies or individual silversmiths & jewelers used pseudo-marks, which were symbols or
Comparison of authentic hallmarks against pseudomarks, from top to bottom: (a) British Hallmarks for Birmingham (Anchor), Sterling (Lion Passant) and Letter Date code, (b) GORHAM MFG Co. on Silverplate (Providence, RI, USA) with pseudo-marks - ca mid19thC, and (c) KARL KURTZ (Kesselstadt, Hanau , Germany) with pseudomarks resembling German & French official hallmarks - ca 1877 - 1940s
letters that resemble official hallmarks of other countries. These are still makers’ marks, not hallmarks, but they look like official hallmarks. This practice was a deliberate attempt at branding one’s wares as coming from a country that already had a well-established and internationally recognized Silversmithing industry and
thus gain quick market acceptance. The vast majority of these pseudo-marks were used by silversmiths in Hanau (Germany) and in the United States, mostly around mid-19thC to 1920s when British silver was at that time – and some argue still is the epitome of high quality and whose hallmarks have been by far the most recognized and amply imitated. Fortunately, these silver pseudo-marks have been elaborately documented and recorded in detail. For more, please see BRITISH PSEUDO-MARKS & HALLMARKS ON ANTIQUE SILVER & SILVERWARE. Deciphering initials silver makers’ marks can also be somewhat challenging since many have been used by several silversmiths & jewelers with names starting with the same letters, including full-fledged companies whose initials represent some sort of a trademarked multiword name. Our Silver marks guide includes a special proprietary INITIALS SEARCH tool that our members can use to enter any letters and find all combinations that match. By quickly arriving at a short list of all relevant potential silversmiths, one can then easily pinpoint the actual maker using related clues, Just a few of about 20 documented results of our such as the country of origin, INITIALS SEARCH for the letters AD decorative style, font used in stamping these initials, types of products a company produced etc.
III.
OTHER MARKS ON SILVER
In addition to the Standards or Assay hallmarks described above, some countries, particularly in Europe, also required or at least encouraged, the use of other symbols on Sterling Silver such a Date Code (frequently a letter in some special font) or a Town or City mark (mostly as a characteristic icon and usually a variation of the official Crest or Coat of Arms for each city). These and other such symbols are tabulated and recorded in many silver identification references and can offer very specific information on the provenance of an item. The Town or City marks on silver should be recognized as such and are almost always located near all other maker’s or official hallmarks. Large embellished symbols or calligraphic initials on the front or face of an item are usually signs that
this was a “presentation” piece, for example it could represent the insignia or logo of a Club, Association or similar group for whom this was made and later presented or awarded to an accomplished member in honor of their work or contribution. These are not to be confused with any other marks, but as expected, offer significant clues as to its provenance or history. They are almost always chased by hand and upon demand, often by an artisan unrelated to the original maker. Pattern Names on silverware & silver flatware or Model Numbers are sometimes unique, but most often have been used by several companies and not necessarily for the same design. Essentially, some patterns are copyrighted as a design, but often the name is too generic to be secured legally. Therefore, it is quite common to find silverware & flatware in the same pattern name, but if made by different companies, they may have a distinctly different design. However, each company used the same Pattern Name or Model Number on items made in the MARSHALL FIELD & Co. same design, although some may be have COLONIAL Pattern (Major Retailers, been issued several times over the years as Chicago (HQ), IL, USA) - ca 1935 - 1960s tastes sometimes can be cyclical. Lastly, another category of marks on silver items has to do with Retailers’ or Exporters’ initials or logos that may have traded or distributed these for sale. Some are well-known Dept. Store chains who had items made to order for sale exclusively on their premises, for example Macy’s (previously John Wanamaker), Marshal Field’s and many others, including some very fine Jewelers or Luxury Goods shops in major metropolitan areas around the globe.
About marks4antiques.com - Currently celebrating its 10th anniversary of service, marks4antiques.com is dedicated to providing the largest and most updated research tools to help its members identify and appraise antiques & collectibles. Registered members have access to comprehensive visual reference methods with thousands upon thousands of images of makers’ marks & hallmarks displayed in Shape or Letter Categories for fast access or can use the proprietary Name or Initials Search features. Also includes a huge database of millions of actual auction records and uses a ‘smart’ search that quickly deciphers key terms using advanced software technology to yield accurate and relevant results. The company is located in the San Francisco Bay area since 2004.